World's Top YouTuber MrBeast reveals how he copes with work pressure: 'Average person would be miserable'

Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, the top YouTuber with over 370 million YouTube subscribers, has amassed $85 million in 2024, thanks to his multiple successful companies and projects, and seems to have the perfect life. But he doesn't mince words about the relentless mental health struggles that come with a super-successful life.
In a recent episode of the podcast The Diary of a CEO, he told Steven Bartlett how working all the time could make the average person miserable, and shared moments where he wanted to do random things, like playing a strategy board game, but realized he didn’t have time for it in his schedule.
“The average person does not want to live the life I live, or be in my head,” Donaldson said in the recent episode of his podcast, adding: “They would be miserable, because they’re just working all the time.”

Donaldson admits that success often comes at the cost of mental health and opens up about feeling like a 'zoo animal', or not having 'free will'. But he also has a coping mechanism to deal with the immense pressure where he has little time for leisure.
“You gotta control your thoughts, and [think], Well, this is the life I chose. You want success, you want to change the world? This is the price you have to pay,” Donaldson said. “You should actually see this as a good thing… You’re lucky it’s hard, push through it and you’ll be happy you did.”
Donaldson admits that if the average person stepped into his shoes, they would likely walk away from his overwhelming empire altogether — “just grab a couple million dollars and be happy.” And he can’t blame them. In fact, Donaldson confessed that so far in 2025, he’s felt more unhappy than happy, with his mood constantly shifting under the relentless weight of his packed schedule.